The Cursed Child
by Skyegirl
Summary: It has been two years since Yuki and Tohru got married. They are expecting their first child, but as soon as the child is born, they know it will be the new Akito, the cursed child, and head of the Sohma family. Will their new child share Akito's hate?
1. Meant To Live: Welcome to existance

Authors Note

Hi!!!! Arisa-san here! This is my first Fic so please review and please please please like it! Oh, I don't own Fruits basket or any of its characters but I wish I did! Fruits Basket is like the coolest Anime show ever!

Anyway, have fun reading! Oh! I would also like to thank Emarista the Torturer, for helping me write part of this. Emarista is a friend of mine and she also writes really good Fruits basket stories, so if you like my story read hers too! Its also posted on

By the way, all my chapter titles are named after songs, don't know why, but I think its cool.

Chapter One: Welcome to Existence

Tohru lay down on her giant feather bed and sighed. Being seven months pregnant was a pain, and she still had two more months to go.

Not that she was unhappy or anything! The ever cheerful Tohru and her husband, Yuki, were both really looking forward to having their first child. Though both of them were also hoping it wouldn't be a zodiac animal, like Yuki.

You see, Yuki was part of the Sohma family, and the Sohma family had a curse. In each generation, thirteen of the Sohma's were cursed so that when ever someone of the opposite sex hugged them they transformed into what ever zodiac animal they happened to be, and the cat, the add-on zodiac member.

See, now here is the part that makes the Sohma's all too confusing, there was another cursed member, but they didn't change shape like the rest. Instead they had the curse of bad health and almost always died young, so the rest of the zodiac could live in peace.

In Tohru's generation the cursed Sohma had been named Akito and he had always tried to pry Tohru away from the Sohma family, so that everyone else would be as hurt as he was. And now he was gone, Akito had died almost two years ago, and no child had replaced him yet.

Tohru was glad about that, Akito had always hated her Yuki and now he was gone and Yuki was so much happier. And everything was going well.

Just to make it more confusing, there was actually another part of the cursed. One day, every other year, the zodiac members were perfectly normal, and they couldn't transform for a whole day, this being the way little Sohma's are born to one zodiac parent and one normal person.

So Tohru sat, spacing out and thinking intently about the curse, Tohru was surprised when she was brought back to reality by her water breaking.

"Oh no! Yuki! Help!" She cried out as one fact downed on her. She was about to have her baby.

Yuki, Shigure and Momiji came running up the stairs, Shigure and Momiji had come over to talk to Yuki and Tohru and were going to stay for dinner. Or that had been the plan.

"Toru-san! Are you okay?"

"I-I think my water broke Momiji-san!" Tohru exclaimed.

"But isn't the baby supposed to arrive two months from now?" Yuki asked looking worriedly at his wife.

"It doesn't matter now Yuki. We need to get her to Ha-san so that he can deliver the baby." Shigure said hurrying to the door, "Yuki help Tohru out. I'll start up the car. Momiji, you call Ha-san and tell him we're coming."

In the car, on the way to Hatori's hospital

Tohru kept twitching and saying "Ow, ow ,ow ,ow." Under her breath the whole way to the hospital. Then for a minute or two she stopped having contractions she looked over at Momiji, who was sitting in front of her.

'Wow, Momiji sure has grown up nicely! No wonder he has his own fan club now! He is soooo cute! Wait a sec! I'm supposed to be in labor.'

Then she said aloud, "Ow, ow, ow! Shigure! Are we there yet?!?!"

Yuki almost smiled, Tohru was in labor but still managed to sound polite, 'Boy did I pick the right girl' He thought.

At the Hospital

Yuki picked Tohru up and carried her in his arms, He practically ran into the hospital then strait past the receptionist, who yelled after him, "Wait! Your supposed to sign in!" but he ignored her completely.

Momiji and Shigure hurried after Yuki and when the receptionist called out to them Shigure yelled, "Sorry! Someone's having a baby here!" and sped up so he could catch up to Momiji.

Yuki ran into Hatori's office and yelled, "Hatori! Help! Tohru's in labor!" Hatori rushed over to Yuki, completely ignoring his patient who was staring at Tohru with large, scared eyes.

"Please leave Chironi-san, I'll reschedule your appointment!" Hatori said over his shoulder as his patient ran from the room.

Yuki set Tohru down on the examination bed then stepped back so Hatori could deliver his child.

One Hour Later

Momiji paced around the waiting room, hopping both Tohru and the baby would be okay. But he wasn't the only one, all the zodiac members and Tohru's two best friends, Arisa Uotani and Saki Hanajima. Everyone had scared looks on their faces, after all, Tohru's baby was two months premature and that is never a good thing.

Finally, Yuki came out, with a big smile on his face. "It's a girl!" He yelled. Everyone jumped up, smiling, shouting and crying, "Tohru cant wait to see all of you! She should be out in a minute." Then he went back in.

Yuki was a little worried, even though he had just told fourteen people that everything was alright. He knew only one person could confirm his suspicion, so he walked over to Hatori, who was washing the little baby off.

"Hatori, do you think this could mean that…" Yuki whispered, letting his voice trail off.

Hatori looked at Yuki then nodded, "I think your right, she was born two months premature, to the day, and she obviously isn't a zodiac member."

Yuki turned away from Hatori and walked over to Tohru putting a fake smile back on his face.

"Hey honey, how are you feeling?" He asked cheerfully.

Tohru smiled back at him then asked, "Yuki, what did you just say to Hatori?"

Yuki's smile faded, "Tohru there's something I have to tell you, about our baby." Tohru's happy face immediately filled with concern, "A-About the baby? What's wrong?"

"Our daughter is the new Akito"

End of Chapter

Cool huh? Oooohhhhhhh…. Cliff hanger! What will Yuki do, now that his first daughter bears the same curse as someone who abused him all his life? And what will Tohru do, now that she has a daughter who is cursed?

I'll update soon, or ill try. Please review if u like it! Or not, just tell me what you think.

- Arisa-san


	2. Anything but Ordinary

Hi! Arisa-san here! Writing this story is actually really fun. I dunno why I never wrote anything else before. I don't know how much you guys like this but it's fun to write, so the more u review the more I'll write.

Sorry, I would have posted earlier but I just got back from a week long visit w/my grandpa.

Well, ill post when I have time, and I cant do anything more than that

Some people said they didn't really get the 'one normal day' thing. It's not real. I made it up, because I wanted zodiac people to have kids with normal people without taking away the curse.

So, to recap it, once, every other year, the zodiac members can hug other people without changing. So this way they could have kids. The day the curse is lifted is January 1st, right after the zodiac/Sohma ball thing.

I hope this makes some sense, sorry if your still confused.

Chapter Two: Anything but Ordinary

"She…She's the new Akito?" Tohru said in a astonished tone, "B-but that means she'll die young too!" And she immediately started crying into her hands.

Yuki came over to try and comfort her, "Don't worry Tohru, we'll just have to love her extra to make up for it. "

Then Hatori came over and informed the couple, "Actually it doesn't have to be like Akito, your daughter can live a normal life if, and only if, she grows up without hate. When Akito was little he was always angry and that is what made his life extra short. I also suggest you keep her away from things that angered Akito, just incase."

The three of them exchanged glances then Tohru said, "Yuki go talk to the poor people in the waiting room please. " Yuki obeyed and quietly left

"You want me to keep her away from Yuki and the Sohma's don't you?" She asked Hatori as soon as Yuki was gone.

"Just for a while"

"How long? I want my husband to know his daughter too." Tohru was trying to be polite but the prospect of not getting to see Yuki for such a long time was worrying her.

"Look Tohru, I want Yuki to be happy too, I want you to be happy, and I want… your (AN: UNNAMED!!!I CANT THINK OF ANYTHING!) baby to be happy. But I cant risk hurting her, if she ended up like Akito, I would never forgive myself." Ha-san said, not looking Tohru in the eye.

"Your right Ha-san, and I know you have our best interests at heart. I'll tell Yuki and then I'll leave. Three years from now me and…um.. our currently-unnamed baby will come back. By the time she's three we should be able to tell if it worked and if she will grow up well. And if she ever gets mad, I'll handle everything myself."

Hatori smiled, but in a almost fake way. "Tohru, I know you'll do what's best for you and your daughter." He assured her

Tohru smiled then left to go join Yuki and show off her beautiful baby.

In the Waiting Room

"TOHRU!!!" Yelled the overly excited Momiji as Tohru finally came out to talk to everyone.

"Shut up!" said Kyo, looking at the wide-awake baby in Tohru's arms like it would explode or something. But the baby just stared out at everyone, with its huge brown eyes.

Arisa and Hana both came forward to hold their best friends baby, as Tohru had done when Hana had had her set of twins two years ago. (AN: YES! Hana is married to Hotsuharu! So she and Arisa know about the curse)

Tohru gentle handed the baby to Arisa and let everyone else faun over her, then walked over away, motioning for Yuki to follow.

"Yuki, we need to talk." (AN: Run Run! Those are the dreaded words of trouble!)

"I know Tohru, we also need to name the baby." said Yuki, only remembering now.

"Oops!" Tohru gasped "I totally forgot! Lets do that first."

"What do you think of Sango, or Shinju ?"(AN: Sango means coral and Shinju means pearl, I got them from the second WISH book!) Yuki suggested.

"I like Shinju, it's a very pretty name" Tohru agreed

"So then its settled! Our daughters name is Shinju! Now what did you want to talk about?" Yuki asked.

"It's about Shinju, Hatori said and I agree, I want Shinju to grow up away from the Sohma's, so she wont hate them like Akito did. "

"I agree" Yuki said "We can live in a different house then the rest of the Sohma's, we don't need to visit the main house often."

"That's not it," Tohru continued, "Akito always hated the Sohma's, but he hated you the most, so I have to keep Shinju away from you, Yuki. Only for her first few years, by the time she's three I should be able to tell if she'll hate Sohma's. Then I can bring her back."

Yuki just stared in disbelief as tears began to fill Tohru's eyes as she continued, "I'll have to move away, maybe just a couple of towns over, and if I can, I'll try to visit you. You know I love you and I love Shinju, and I'm doing what's best for both of you."

By now a tear was trickling down Yuki's face and Tohru was sobbing. Both were heart broken at Shinju leaving and not being able to see each other often, knowing there would be months of time between any visit.

"Tohru… I know this is the right thing to do. But I cant let you go that easily! I love you two more than anything else and I cant just forget about you and go one without you." Yuki replied.

"I don't like it either, but its what has to be done." Tohru cried, wiping tears from her eyes "L-lets go get Sh-hinju and head h-home."

Yuki and Tohru went back to the crowd, announced the name of the baby, then started for home, but before they could leave Arisa and Hana grabbed Tohru, saying, "We just need to talk to her for a moment!"

"What's going on? You two should be overjoyed, but you look like someone just died." Arisa said bluntly.

"You waves feel sad too." Hana added. Everyone stared at her. (AN: Sorry! It's just that Hana's powers kinda freak me out so I just had to add that.)

"Anyway… What's wrong?" Arisa asked again.

Tohru quickly explained then added, "I'll call you two when were gone. I have to go. Goodbye, for now." Then left.

"I hope they'll all be okay" Arisa said to Hana as they watched there best friend leave.

Eleven O'clock at Night, Same Day

"Goodbye Yuki" Tohru said to the sleeping body of her husband, "I'll miss you so much, sorry I didn't stay longer, but if you were awake I doubt I'd ever be able to leave."

Then she grabbed the baby and when to her already loaded car.

"I'll miss you" she said into the night, then got in the car and drove away from everything she loved.

End Of Chapter Two

Like it? I worked hard on this and I'm sorry for any mistakes or confusing parts. I'm also sorry for the long wait. As said earlier I was at my grandpa's, two thousand miles from my computer.

I just reread this and realized that it sounds kinda corny. Sorry about that too.

THANK YOU ALL FOR READING AND REVIEWING!!!!! I is so so so happy!

This time I really will update soon!

- Arisa-san


	3. Losing Grip

I forgot this last chapter but, I don't own Fruits Basket, or its characters, anyway…

Well, here it is! The new chapter of my story. I know I've been staling but as some of you reviewers said, and must be thinking, I did kind of made a big change with the story so now I'm trying to set it right. I just don't know how.

I wrote myself into a corner and it gave me writers block, but now I'm all better and I'm sorry if this chapter is shorter but I'm still having some trouble.

Writing this actually made me wonder, how many of you read this? How many just skip it and don't care? Does anyone listen to my rants? Should I just--- What did you say? I'm supposed to be writing the story? Oh yah. Oops.

Chapter three: Losing grip

"Where are you? Where have you gone?" Yuki said to the shadow of his dreams, the one with the face of Tohru.

"Don't you love me? You said you loved me more than anything, that this was a good thing. But good things don't hurt this much. Where are you now? Tohru!" Yuki cried out to the ghost of his wife, reaching out to her, but she just moved farther and farther away.

He woke with a start, his hand still outstretched, reaching for her. Tohru had been gone for over a year, and as each month past Yuki became farther and farther away from everything around him.

He knew that if he didn't see her soon her would go mad with grief. When she had first said that she was leaving he thought he could handle it, but he couldn't.

Without Tohru he was going crazy. And all he had of her was the note she had left for him, and all it said was this:

Yuki-kun,

I love you more than anything, and I love Shinju too. You both mean everything to me. Understand this Yuki, no matter what happens to me in the next three years, I will always love you, and I will never forget you. Ill come visit in a year, when I have a stable house and job. I wanted to wait until you woke up, but then I'd never be able to leave you.

- Tohru

"Why did you leave at all?!" Yuki yelled out into the night, after reading the note for the millionth time, "You said you'd come back in a year! Its been a year! Where are you?"

Tears began to run down his face, "I know I can't hold you normally, I know I'm anything but normal, but I adore you, I worship you, your everything to me."

It took him over an hour for him to fall back asleep this time, each time it seemed to take longer, and it worried him. What if he just stopped sleeping? What would happen to him then? Would he die?

Far Away

Crying woke Tohru from her light sleep. She rolled over and shook sleep from her like dogs shake off water. She went strait to Shinju's cradle, a picked her up, thinking not of Shinju but of Yuki, as always.

"He must hate me." She said to Shinju, "I just left like that! And I haven't visited in sooo long! I'm a horrible wife!" And Tohru started to cry too, making Shinju stop and stare at her mom in baby disbelief.

After five minutes Tohru stopped crying enough to go lie down in her big empty bed with Shinju next to her, and she cried herself to sleep.

In the morning Tohru woke up determined to visit Yuki and the Sohma's. So before she went to work she looked up plane tickets from San Francisco to Japan, from Tohru to Yuki.

(AN: I couldn't think of a place for Tohru to live so it just ended up being San Fran, so sue me!)

At Arisa and Kyo's house

"Hey! Tohru! Its good to hear your voice again! Everyone's missed you so much!" Arisa said into the receiver, "Your going to visit? Awesome! Don't worry, I'll tell Hana and no one else."

Arisa smiled as Tohru told her about how well she had been doing in America. Then said goodbye and hung up the phone, and her smile faded. Yuki needs Tohru so much! She thought, but does Tohru need him? I know they love each other more than anything, but he can't live without her and she…

Arisa frowned as she walked into the kitchen. She only noticed that Kyo was in the room when he said hello to her. She spun around and thought wildly, 'What if he heard me talking to Tohru?!' then managed to smile and tried to look normal.

"Hey honey." She said, walking over to him and kissing him on the lips, being careful not to hug him. Kyo just stared at her, "What's up with you Arisa? You look surprised. This is still my house too right?" he said this in a joking way but Arisa could hear the worry in his voice.

"It's okay Kyo, well it's not okay, but I cant say why." Arisa said lamely.

Kyo looked at her strange then said, "This is about that phone call isn't it? You know I heard everything you said and I think it's good, that damn rat needs Tohru to come back."

"I know he does Kyo, I know, but I'm still worried, I don't want my little baby Tohru (AN: well they do treat her like a baby! NO, ARISA IS NOT GOING SOFT! I'll just have to have her beat up someone later!) to hurt him, or Yuki to hurt her, but that's all they've been doing lately."

Kyo came over and kissed her cheek, "They'll be fine." Was all he said as both of them stood there, hoping for the best.

END OF CHAPTER

So, Kyo and Arisa are married and I dunno what happened to Kagura okay? She's just not part of this.

Well I gtg read other fics now! Hope u like mine!

- Arisa-san


	4. Mobile

Chapter Four: Mobile

(Emarista: Oh yeah, and if some of you haven't noticed yet, me and

Arisa-san are really into Avril Lavigne and her music. I find her music

inspirational and I seem to relate to her songs a lot. And I've memorized them all

Recap of the last chapter:

Arisa frowned as she walked into the kitchen. She only noticed that Kyo was

in the room when he said hello to her. She spun around and thought wildly,

'What if he heard me talking to Tohru?!' then managed to smile and tried to

look normal.

"Hey honey." She said, walking over to him and kissing him on the lips,

being careful not to hug him. Kyo just stared at her, "What's up with

you Arisa? You look surprised. This is still my house too right?" he said this

in a joking way but Arisa could hear the worry in his voice.

"It's okay Kyo, well it's not okay, but I can't say why." Arisa said

lamely.

Kyo looked at her strange then said, "This is about that phone call

isn't it? You know I heard everything you said and I think it's good, that

damn rat needs Tohru to come back."

"I know he does Kyo, I know, but I'm still worried, I don't want my little

baby Tohru (AN: well they do treat her like a baby! NO, ARISA IS NOT

GOING SOFT! I'll just have to have her beat up someone later!) to hurt him,

or Yuki to hurt her, but that's all they've been doing lately."

Kyo came over and kissed her cheek, "They'll be fine." Was all he said

as both of them stood there, hoping for the best.

End of Recap

Went back home again

Two Years Afterwards

"Oka-chan!" a little three-year-old girl called from in the blue-green seawater. She had waist-length silverfish hair and bright violet-purple eyes and was wearing a red bathing suit. She started giggling and splashing the warm water happily.

"What is it Shinju-chan?" Tohru said wading out into the water to where her daughter was playfully splashing around. She had her hair up in a ponytail and was wearing a light blue bathing suit.

"I found a pretty shell!" Shinju gleefully said holding out a large pale gray shell that sparkled dazzlingly in the sunlight. When Tohru looked at it, it reminded her Yuki's hair. She started to remember the times she went to visit him. They were all so fun. But it was always so hard having to keep Shinju away from him.

Flash Back to one year ago

"Come Shinju-chan! Wake up now. It's time for you to go with Auntie Arisa

and Uncle Kyo (Emarista: AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! I couldn't help myself, I

just had to put that in) now." Tohru said slightly shaking Shinju awake from her

sleep on the drive there. (Emarista: Oh yeah, right now, currently,

Shinju is three-and a half, in the flash back, she's one-and-a-half and can

talk but only a little bit)

"Awuntee Awisa an Unkou Keeo!" Shinju squealed gleefully. She was excited to meet these people her Oka-chan talked about so much. Tohru carefully picked up her daughter and walked over to the blue house second to the end of the block and walked up to the door and wrung the doorbell. The door opened to reveal…

…An old woman!

"Eep!" Shinju shrieked as she hid her face in Tohru's chest. "Scarwee!"

"Eh heh heh," Tohru laughed nervously, "I'm so-sorry. I-Is this the house of

Arisa and Kyo Sohma?"

"Oh, you mean that lovely couple? They live next door." The lady smiled,

making her face look more wrinkly and old. (Emarista: Eww. I used to

have a teacher whose face was covered in wrinkles. She always scared me)

"Okay…" Tohru said backing away and walking over to the house.

"I nevow wanna go dere adain!" Shinju cried.

"Don't worry, we'll never have to see that scary lady ever again."

Tohru said sweatdropping, "Now let's get you to Arisa and Kyo's now."

END OF FLASHBACK

Tohru smiled as she thought of the six or so times she had gotten time of work to go visit Yuki. As Tohru sat reminiscing she almost started to doze off, until she heard a scream.

"Oka-chan!" Shinju screamed as a huge hunk of drift wood almost hit her in the face.

Tohru managed to grab her daughter and bring her to safety just before the wood and waves killed her. Shinju started yelling again right after her mother picked her up, only this time she kept saying, "Look at the boat Oka-chan, mommy, mommy look at the boat!" over and over again.

Tohru turned around to see what shinju was talking about. Sure enough, in between the waves a little wooden boat was rocking up and down, nearly lost to the sea.

Tohru stood in wonder as she took in everything around her. Not only was there a boat, where was tons of wood, enough to make up a ship. But tohru did not look for very long because Shinju, who was on her shoulders, was yelling again.

"Look in the boat Oka-chan! Look at it!"

Tohru looked. Someone was still in the boat. When the boat rocked it was easy enough to tell that someone was still in the little wooden life boat. Tohru's loving heart told her that she had to save whoever it was.

"Stay here honey." She told Shinju as she set her down at a safe part of the beach. Then she dove into the water and swam towards the boat. When she finally reached it she was exhausted, but she still pulled the boat the shore.

After struggling with the boat for a while Tohru managed to get it to shore, and get salt water in her mouth. Spitting and heaving she finally looked over the rim of the boat. Inside was small girl, only a few years older than Shinju, who was out cold.

Tohru picked up the girl, ran over to her towel and called the police using her cell phone.

"Hello, 911 emergency office, how may I help you?" said a cool female voice on the other end.

"Hello, I'm at ocean beach, San Francisco, and parts of a wrecked ship and a crew member just washed up on shore! I don't know what to do! Please sent someone to help!" Tohru said in fast accented English.

"Okay ma'am well send someone down there right away, now, could you describe the scene in more detail?" The lady asked, probably to keep Tohru occupied until the ambulance got there.

"Sure thing" said Tohru as she continued to explain until she heard the sirens approaching.

END OF CHAPTER

this isn't my first draft of this chapter. After all my stories got erased I found that I didn't have this chapter saved to my computer, so the second half of it is just the closest I can remember.

- Arisa


	5. All For You

AN: No talking at the beginning this time, as always, sorry for spelling, grammar and lateness.

CHAPTER FIVE: All For You

Recap of Last Chapter:

After struggling with the boat for a while Tohru managed to get it to shore, and get salt water in her mouth. Spitting and heaving she finally looked over the rim of the boat. Inside was small girl, only a few years older than Shinju, who was out cold.

Tohru picked up the girl, ran over to her towel and called the police using her cell phone.

"Hello, 911 emergency office, how may I help you?" said a cool female voice on the other end.

"Hello, I'm at ocean beach, San Francisco, and parts of a wrecked ship and a crew member just washed up on shore! I don't know what to do! Please sent someone to help!" Tohru said in fast accented English.

"Okay ma'am well send someone down there right away, now, could you describe the scene in more detail?" The lady asked, probably to keep Tohru occupied until the ambulance got there.

"Sure thing" said Tohru as she continued to explain until she heard the sirens approaching.

End of Recap:

"Thank you for all your help Mrs. Sohma, if you wish you may accompany the girl to the hospital." One of the ambulance workers said to Tohru as they lifted the girl on to a stretcher.

"I think my daughter and I will go with the girl, I want to make sure she's alright." Tohru said picking up Shinju and looking expectantly at the fireman.

"Why don't you come with her in the ambulance. You'll get there faster." He said Tohru nodded then went in and sat next to the girls stretcher, with Shinju on her lap. The whole way to the emergency room Tohru held the girls hand and prayed that she would live.

Two Hours Later

"Mrs. Sohma?" A polite female voice said right next to Tohru. She jerked awake, wonder where she was. Then it all came back, Shinju and her at the beach, finding the girl, going to the hospital.

"Right here. I'm Mrs. Sohma." Tohru said to the nurse in charge of the waiting room. The nurse smiled at her.

"Right this way please." She said, helping Tohru and the still sleeping Shinju out of the waiting room chair, then leading them down one long hall after another.

Finally they got to a large white washed room where the only two pieces of furniture, and old chair, and the examination table, with the girl on top of it.

"The doctor will be here in a moment." The nurse explained, "And your daughter should be waking up soon." Then she left before Tohru could explain that she wasn't her daughter.

Tohru sat down with Shinju on her lap, and stared at the girl, realizing this was the first time she actually looked at her. Her face was round and pretty, she had roses in her cheeks even as she slept. Her hair was cut short on either side but she had a very long ponytail going down her back, and half her bangs went down to her shoulders.

Her hair was unusual but it wasn't the oddest part about her. She had earrings. The one on her right ear was a huge golden cross, and she had three on her right ear. Two were golden studs but the third was another large dangling design that Tohru didn't recognize.

This girl obviously came from a very different place if she was about eight years old and had four earrings. Not that Tohru really cared, all that mattered was that she was alright and that they could find her family.

After another five minutes had gone by, Shinju began to feel very heavy. So Tohru picked her up and set her next to the girl on the bed. Instantly Shinju rolled over and curled up against the other child's arm. Then the girl rapped her other arm protectively around Shinju's thin shoulders.

Tohru smiled, even in there sleep they liked each other. Tohru's heart went to the two sleeping angels, and she decided that if the girl had no family, then she would adopt her.

For once she didn't try to guess what Yuki would say, and thought only of saving this beautiful orphan. She had to take her with Shinju, and bring her back to Japan.

Five Minutes Later

"Mrs. Sohma, I'm Dr. Katie Hamulan , sorry for keeping you waiting." A attractive young blond girl said, walking into the waiting room, clip board in hand. Tohru walked over and shook the doctor's outstretched hand.

"I don't know if you know this Mrs. Sohma, but according to this," She said, flipping through the clip board, "This girl you got here woke up while we were examining her. She wouldn't talk to us, and we believe she may be traumatized. All she said was that she had no name and her whole family died in a ship wreck. Sadly, it looks as though she might never speak again. Many people who experience such tragedies at such a young age often end up killing themselves, later on in life."

Tohru turned to look at the girl sleeping with her arm across Shinju. Can one little girl hold that much pain? She wondered, and could Shinju, Yuki and I help her get over that? Everything just became more complicated.

If she became depressed would she bring Shinju down with her? Shinju was the delicate flower of the Sohma's. And if protecting her had driven Tohru all the way to San Francisco how far would she have to go to protect this nameless girl?

But one thing wasn't a question in Tohru's mind, everyone deserves a chance at happiness, and some, like this girl, deserve a second chance too.

AN: hope you liked it, sleep is calling, please review, opinions are always welcome.


	6. I'm With You

Gomone! I know, I know, I took forever! I've been reading a lot of manga lately and haven't had time.

By the way, have any of you, excluding Sacchi, read 'Mars'? cause It's really good. You guys should try it, even if it doesn't look like anime.

Recap of Last Chapter:

I don't know if you know this Mrs. Sohma, but according to this," She said, flipping through the clip board, "This girl you got here woke up while we were examining her. She wouldn't talk to us, and we believe she may be traumatized. All she said was that she had no name and her whole family died in a ship wreck. Sadly, it looks as though she might never speak again. Many people who experience such tragedies at such a young age often end up killing themselves, later on in life."

Tohru turned to look at the girl sleeping with her arm across Shinju. Can one little girl hold that much pain? She wondered, and could Shinju, Yuki and I help her get over that? Everything just became more complicated.

If she became depressed would she bring Shinju down with her? Shinju was the delicate flower of the Sohma's. And if protecting her had driven Tohru all the way to San Francisco how far would she have to go to protect this nameless girl?

But one thing wasn't a question in Tohru's mind, everyone deserves a chance at happiness, and some, like this girl, deserve a second chance too.

End of recap:

Tohru sighed as she flipped through the dozens of forms she still had to read through and sign. Adopting a kid was a lot harder then it looked.

After talking to the doctor for a half hour Tohru managed to get the right forms to adopt the unnamed little girl. Then she had picked up Shinju, slowly waking her up, and grabbed the girl's (orphan will be referred to as 'girl' or 'the girl' for now.) hand, leading them both to another waiting room.

And now here she was, reading at least twenty pages of forms, all of which required a name for the adoptee. Tohru turned to stare at her two beauties, both of which were now awake.

"EEEKKK!!!" Shinju shrieked as the girl tickled her ruthlessly. The girl was smiling. And Tohru could stop think how gorgeous she looked.

"Shinju don't be so loud!" Tohru scolded lightly, then as a after thought she said, "Little girl, please come here for a second." The orphan looked up at her then slowly rose and walked over to her.

The girl looked so nervous that Tohru had to smile. "I wont bite you, I just need to know your name, could you please tell me?" The girl shook her head so violently Tohru was afraid it might fall off.

"Well, I need to know your name… Unless you want me to rename you?" The girl nodded her head once in agreement.

"Okay, I'll list some Japanese names for you and if you don't like them then don't do anything if you do like one then nod once." The girl nodded again, so Tohru started to name every name she could think of.

" Mai, You, Yui, Miaka, Taio, wait, sorry that was a boys name, um… Songo, Shinju, wait, I've already used that one…. Koharu, Kohaku." Tohru stopped. The girl was nodding vigorously again.

"Koharu?" She nodded.

"Koharu Sohma, it's a beautiful name. I don't know if the doctors talked to you or not Koharu, but I'm going to be your new mother, and little Shinju will be you sister. Are you happy with that?"

Koharu smiled so wide that Tohru marveled at how many teeth she had. Now that that was settled, Tohru began to fill out the rest of the forms as Shinju and Koharu played.

Two Hours Later

"TAXI!" Tohru called out, signaling one of the many big yellow cars over to her. She grabbed her two girls hands and hopped into the car.

"1242, Second street please." Tohru said to the driver, as the car lurched forward.

The girls sat one on either side of their mother. After another twenty minutes of driving, both the girls were getting tired, and it was almost 1:00AM. Both of them lay their heads on Tohru's lap, and every doubt and fear left Tohru, as she basked in their innocence, with only one thought.

'I must protect the both of them from all that's wrong.'

At The Front Steps To Tohru's Apartment Building

"Well I guess its time for bed girls." Tohru said to the two sleeping girls she carried, one in either arm.

She slowly walked up the steps of her building, being careful not to drop the her babies. After a moment she managed to wrestle her keys out of her pocket and open the main door into her grand apartment building.

Of all the places Tohru could have lived in, she liked her current home the best. The entrance was large and elegant, and the floors were white marble, and her two bedroom, second story apartment was even nicer, with a calming, Japanese theme,.

Even though Yuki wasn't there with her, when ever she entered her apartment, she always felt at home.

She carried the girls over to the elevator and got in. Twenty seconds later the cold, metallic, doors opened and Tohru walked towards her door, all the way at the end.

She fumbled with the keys for a bit, then managed to open the door, only to find the completely unexpected. She almost dropped the children when she saw the figure sitting at her couch.

The person turned to look at her, and smiled.

"Hello." Said a wonderfully familiar voice.

End Of Chapter….

Ohhh…. Who is it? Kind obvious to some, but you may be surprised. Hope you all loved it.


	7. How You Remind Me

Arisa-san -

I've left this story far to long! And I'm really sorry to all my remaining readers (the ones who haven't given up on me that is). At the end of the last chapter I said it might be obvious to some who came to visit Tohru, but to be truthful, I had no idea, up until now, who it was going to be.

I figured that if it was Yuki then it might be to boring, so I spiced it up a little. Just so you know, having someone visit wasn't my idea, my reviewer baka-onna2003, suggested something like it in one of her reviews, so thank you baka-onna2003!

I hope ya'll read the fifth book! Its supposed to be really good, I almost got to read it except ASHES had to read it first! And she takes FOREVER to read manga books. Sure I've watched the whole first season but I don't know how well you guys who read the manga know Kisa and Hiro. Here's all you need to know for this chapter:

Kisa girl, 6th grade, zodiac tiger, likes Hiro

Hiro boy, 5th grade, zodiac sheep, likes Kisa, MEAN LITTLE BOY

Hope this helps. One last thing.

Before I start the chapter, for you convenience, the ages of a few random characters, and the main characters, of course.

AGES OF THE CHARACTERS:

Tohru and Yuki 23, Shinju 3, Koharu 7, Kisa 20, Hiro 21, Shigure, Ayame and Hatori 35, Momiji and Haru 22

RECAP:

Even though Yuki wasn't there with her, when ever she entered her apartment, she always felt at home.

She carried the girls over to the elevator and got in. Twenty seconds later the cold, metallic, doors opened and Tohru walked towards her door, all the way at the end.

She fumbled with the keys for a bit, then managed to open the door, only to find the completely unexpected. She almost dropped the children when she saw the figure sitting at her couch.

The person turned to look at her, and smiled.

"Hello." Said a wonderfully familiar voice.

END OF RECAP

Chapter Seven: How You Remind Me

"M-Momiji!" Tohru yelled, remembering the sleepy children only long enough to carefully set them on a chair, and running wildly at her old friend.

Five seconds and one big poof later, a little yellow bunny was sitting in Tohru's lap. Tohru started to laugh until she cried, as Momiji gasped for air around Tohru's unrelenting grip.

"Oh Momiji! I've missed you so much! I haven't seen you in years!" Tohru cried.

"And what am I, something the cat dragged in?" Another familiar drawling voice said from the other side of the room.

Tohru took her face out of Momiji's fur to stare at two other uninvited guests.

"Hiro! Kisa! You're here too?! Why didn't you say anything?!"

"And get the same hello as that silly rabbit? No thank you, I rather like being able to breath." The forever rude Hiro said disdainfully, Kisa elbowed him in the ribs and glared at him, then ran forward to hug Tohru .

"Sissy!" She called as she hugged Tohru tight, just like she had the first time thy met, seven years ago.

One Hour Later

Everything was set up for Tohru's enlarged family. Shinju and Koharu had curled up on the couch together and drifted of to sleep quickly, so they were left there for the night.

Since Kisa and Hiro got engaged, Tohru made them share a bed, saying it would be rude not to. And that left Momiji and Tohru, who ended up sharing the last bedroom. Momiji didn't want to take the bed from Tohru and Tohru wouldn't take the bed from Momiji, so they folded the sheets in half (so they wouldn't touch) and shared the bed.

To some that might seem a little odd, but to Tohru, Momiji would always be the cute little kid he had been when they met, and like a little brother to her. And it was the same for Momiji, everything he felt for Tohru was the same love he felt for his sister Momo.

The Next Afternoon

"You know, San Francisco looks a lot bigger on the street then in the air." Momiji said cheerfully as he skipped down the street, staring up at all the skyscrapers of down town.

"And do you know how stupid you look right now?" Hiro said grumpily. Kisa grabbed his shirt front, pulled him down to her height, then kissed him.

"Hiro-chan, do you really have to be so mean? Momiji is just having a little fun, you should try it, before you shrivel up into a prune." Kisa whispered in his ear.

Tohru couldn't help but smile, seen the way Hiro's face softened when ever he looked at Kisa, even if she happened to be glaring at him.

Kisa and Hiro shared a bond that Tohru and Yuki never could. Because they are both members of the zodiac, they understand each others pain, and they can touch anytime they want. It was very hard for Tohru not to be jealous of them, I mean, when was the last time I even saw Yuki? She asked herself.

"Mommy!" Shinju said, in Japanese of course, "Mommy? Can Ko and I go with Uncle Moiji? He's a lot of fun, and even if she don't say so, I just know Ko likes him to, so can we?" She pleaded.

Tohru smiled at her daughter, well daughters, she kept thinking how silly she had been to name Koharu, Koharu, because Shinju couldn't pronounce it and had immediately given her the nick name "Ko".

"I'm sorry Shinju-kun, but Uncle Momiji doesn't know this city very well, so I don't think he's a good guide, but if you ask Aunt Kisa and Uncle Hiro I bet they wouldn't mind stopping at a park to play." As soon as Tohru finished her run on sentence Shinju was off to ask Hiro and Kisa about the park.

Ten Minutes Later

Everyone was running around and goofing off at the park, and since the girls were occupied with teasing Hiro, Tohru decided now would be the best time to ask a question that had been bugging her since the night before.

"Momiji! Kisa! I'd like a word please!" Tohru called out to her two friends.

"What is it?" Momiji asked, after collapsing on the grass next to her, trying to catch his breath.

"I want to know why you're here. Something must be up, not that I don't love you three visiting, but, you never visited me in the last three years, so why now?"

Kisa looked at Momiji, Momiji looked at Kisa, and Tohru looked at both of them, trying to decide if she needed to worry.

Kisa nodded at Momiji, then turned back to Tohru, "It's Yuki, Tohru. I know you've been visiting him every nine months or so, but it must not be enough, because –"

Kisa was cut off by Hiro running over to them with a horrified look on his face.

"Kisa! Tohru! Momiji! The kids are gone!" Was all he needed to say to get the three young adults off the ground and completely frantic.

END OF CHAPTER

Yah, yah, another cliff hanger, you may hate it but that's what makes this fun for me.

Love,

- Arisa-san


	8. Lost

YAY! It's a new chapter! Lets all be happy and sing and dance right? Sorry about that. That was my way of saying sorry I'm so lazy that I didn't write this a month ago. Hope y'all like it!

RECAP OF LAST CHAPTER

Everyone was running around and goofing off at the park, and since the girls were occupied with teasing Hiro, Tohru decided now would be the best time to ask a question that had been bugging her since the night before.

"Momiji! Kisa! I'd like a word please!" Tohru called out to her two friends.

"What is it?" Momiji asked, after collapsing on the grass next to her, trying to catch his breath.

"I want to know why you're here. Something must be up, not that I don't love you three visiting, but, you never visited me in the last three years, so why now?"

Kisa looked at Momiji, Momiji looked at Kisa, and Tohru looked at both of them, trying to decide if she needed to worry.

Kisa nodded at Momiji, then turned back to Tohru, "It's Yuki, Tohru. I know you've been visiting him every nine months or so, but it must not be enough, because –"

Kisa was cut off by Hiro running over to them with a horrified look on his face.

"Kisa! Tohru! Momiji! The kids are gone!" Was all he needed to say to get the three young adults off the ground and completely frantic.

END OF RECAP

"W-what happened Hiro?!?!" Tohru half yelled at him.

"I don't know! We were playing hide and seek and I counted to ten and they ran of and to hide. When I looked for them I couldn't find them anywhere in the park! I don't know where they went, and I am so so so sorry Tohru!" He finished, and boy did he look sorry.

"If we ever have kids I am never, ever, letting you baby-sit them." Kisa said to her fiancé.

"We can split up and look for them," Momiji suggested, "Kisa and Hiro can go towards the right and Tohru and I can go towards the left." Everyone agreed, and the hunt for the children began.

Ten Minutes Later

"Momiji! How far can to little girls go ! I don't see them anywhere." Hiro called out to his cousin.

"We haven't seen them either Hiro, and I'm starting to get worried." Momiji confided quietly, so Tohru could not hear.

"We just have to keep looking, or else will all get a pretty bad beating from Yuki when we go back to Japan." Hiro reminded him.

"I'd almost be happy to be beat up by Yuki, after all that's been happening with him. It would be nice to see him acting like his old self." And on that depressing note, the cousins both left to keep looking.

Kisa had met up with Tohru as they walk across the park and the side streets. Neither of them were saying anything.

"GET THE HELL AWAY FROM US!" A loud, child-like voice yelled from a side street called Raven Drive. Tohru and Kisa shared a look that said, 'oh god, please let that be them!.'

The two young women both ran to Raven to find…

… Shinju, Koharu and a crazy-looking woman. As soon as the lady saw the adults, she ran.

"SHINJU! KOHARU!" Tohru yelled, gabbing both her girls up into a very large hug. "Your both all right! Thank god!" Then she pulled back to inspect them.

"Was that you _talking _Koharu?" She asked, completely amazed. Koharu nodded once. "Oh honey! If you hadn't said anything then we might never have found you two! I'm so glad your both okay!"

Kisa smiled at the happy little family, "Well, can you tell us what happened Shinju?" she addressed her little niece.

"She said she would give us candy if we went with her. I said okay, but Ko didn't wanna so then I said no, but she grabbed me and pulled me over here. Ko saved me! She hit the lady and the lady put me down. Then Ko yelled and you came, and the lady ran once you came."

After a moment she added, "I'm real sorry mommy."

Tears were streaming down Tohru's face. She had been so worried. What if that horrible lady had succeeded and taken her children away? What if they had died. Everyone around her would be gone, her mom, her da, Yuki… even Akito, who she disliked, but never wanted to die.

"Lets go home Shinju, Koharu." Tohru said, after getting herself together, "It's time for me to tell you both about Japan, and about your da."

"A-About Dada?" Shinju asked. She new about the curse on the family, but she had never seen anyone transform. She also knew her dad was the rat, and that mommy missed him, but that was about it.

"I should have told you long ago, but we were afraid for you Shinju, but your old enough now. Can you tell me the difference of right and wrong?"

Shinju nodded vigorously, "Right is taking a baby kitten out of the rain, and adopting it. Right was savin Ko from the big ocean. Wrong is hurting a baby. Wrong is trying to take Ko 'n me away from mommy. Wrong is hurting Dada"

Tohru smiled. "Those are wonderful examples sweetie. And all of them were right. Do you want to meet daddy? We can go back and live in Japan, where you were born, and where Yuki is."

"Yes! I want to meet dada! I told Ko all about him, just like you told me! I told her about the zodiac too! but I dunno if she believes me. We should make Unko Moiji transform when we get back home!"

"We'll see darling. Lets just go home now, mommy and auntie are tired after all the excitement." Kisa told the girls.

Two Hours Later

"So its really real mommy. Unko Moiji is a rabbit. Unko Hiro is a sheepy. And daddy is a rat?" Shinju asked. Momiji sat in her lap as a small and very fluffy yellow rabbit. Hiro was standing next to Koharu, in sheep form, while she pet him absentmindedly.

"Yup. Everything I told you was perfectly true. So, " Tohru turned back to look at Kisa, "I'm ready to go home again. And stay their forever."

Kisa smiled at Tohru. 'But Tohru still didn't know the whole truth!' Kisa reminded herself, 'No one had told her, but she still decided to go back to Japan, so did they really NEED to tell her? Couldn't it just be a not-so-wonderful surprise?'

'I wish Tohru didn't have to have so many sad things in her life, but everything always seemed to stay that way.' Kisa thought. 'Maybe he'll be all better and we wont have to say anything.

'Please god, let Yuki be better!' She prayed.

END

wow is this chapter stinky. Hope u like it anyway. Next one will be better! Well, I'll try!

Love Arisa-san


	9. Here's to the Night

So, everyone wants to know what's wrong with Yuki. And you'll find out in do time ;P Merry Christmas and Happy New Year everyone! This is your present for me k?

Recap:

'I wish Tohru didn't have to have so many sad things in her life, but everything always seems to stay that way.' Kisa thought. 'Maybe he'll be all better and we wont have to say anything.

'Please god, let Yuki be better!' She prayed.

END OF RECAP

Chapter Five: Here's to the Night

"Oka-chan!" Shinju said rather loudly, pointing out the window at the rooftops of Tokyo, (AN: I have NO idea what city the Sohma's live in!).

"Yes honey, were almost home." At the sight of Tokyo Tohru was filled with emotion, and she wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry, "Are you two ready to meet daddy?" she asked the little girls.

"Yup!" Shinju said as Koharu nodded her agreement. Tohru smiled across the two children, at her three cousins across the aisle on the plane. "Are you three ready too?" she jokingly asked Hiro, Kisa and Momiji. They all smiled half-heartedly.

Something was wrong, something none of them wanted to tell her, and every time she talked about Yuki she could see it in their eyes. No way to make them tell Tohru sighed to herself, just have to wait and find out.

Forty minutes later

"Oh it feels so nice to be back!" Tohru said as she got out of the cab and stared up at the Sohma house she had lived in with Shigure, Kyo and Yuki, and later on with just Yuki. Now she started to cry, pain, fear, joy and hope all mixing into one. It was time to see Yuki again.

Shinju ran up to the door yelling, "DADDY!" over and over again. Koharu ran over to restrain her little sister, but even she looked happy enough to burst.

"Shinju, don't be so loud!" Tohru lightly scolded as she reached into her jeans pocket and pulled out the key. After a moment he opened the door, and walked in to her home.

"Yuki?" She called up the stairs. Without waiting for a answer she ran up the stairs into their bedroom. Yuki lay asleep on the bed.

"Yuki!" Tohru cried, before throwing herself on her husband. One 'poof' later and Tohru held a wide awake rat in her arms as tight as she could manage.

"I missed you so much Yuki! I love you so much!" Tohru told the rat.

"I love you too Tohru." The rat said, in Yuki's melodic voice.

Two minutes later

Yuki and Tohru kissed for a whole minute, without touching of course.

"Ahem." Shinju said in Japanese as she walked into the room, "Mommy, Ko's hungry."

Tohru laughed at the look on her daughters face. "Shinju, this is your daddy, Yuki, and I think you two should talk for awhile, you have three and a half years to catch up on." As she left the room Shinju ran past her yelling "DADDY!"

As soon as Tohru entered the kitchen on the pretence of getting Koharu food she had a flashback of what the Sohma boys had been like without her. It smelled dreadful, and old food was everywhere, but Tohru never just gives up when the going gets tough! So she started to clean.

Ten minutes later and the kitchen was orderly enough for her to make a BLT sandwich for Koharu.

"Here you go hun." She told her oldest daughter, handing her the sandwich, "When Shinju's done talking to Yuki we should probably introduce you. Um… since your going to be living with us from now on your new father will defiantly need to get to know you."

The look in Koharu's eyes was on of pure joy, almost like she still wasn't sure if Tohru wanted to keep her around. I have got to find away to show Koharu how much we all really love her, Tohru thought, she cant keep expecting us to send her to an orphanage.

Twenty minutes later…

Everyone sat around the kitchen table, Koharu next to Shinju, Yuki next to Tohru.

"You don't mind that we adopted Koharu without telling you do you?" Tohru whispered to Yuki, while Shinju was explaining what she wanted to do now in great detail to Koharu.

"Tohru, when I married you I said I would love you through better and worse, and Koharu is definitely part of the better. She's cute, nice, polite AND Shinju loves her, you definitely chose the right little girl to save." Yuki said, smiling at his wife.

"I love you so much!" Tohru told him for the twentieth time that day, and kissed him.

"Mommy! Dats weird!" Shinju said, making a face, Koharu shook her head at her sister and smiled. Yuki and Tohru laughed.

In another part of town

"Hey Kyo!" A strong, female voice called, "Could you come here please!?" It was Arisa Ouotani-Sohma, calling to her husband.

"What is it?" Kyo asked once he had reached his wife, who stood in the living room, phone in hand.

"That was the little squirt (A.K.A. Momiji), he said Tohru finally came home. He left her and her kids to go back to the main house, so he doesn't know how Yuki reacted. Oh, and Tohru adopted a little foreign girl, named Koharu or something. We really need to go see them."

Kyo stared at his wife, trying to process all that information. "Sure we can go visit, but we should call first, its polite." He reminded his head-strong wife, "Rat-boy probably wants some time alone to catch up. But I definitely want to meet the newest Sohma, make sure she can deal with living in this family."

Arisa smiled, "If me, Hana and Tohru can stand you guys then I think Koharu can manage it too, but it would be good to meet her, Tohru says she's mute."

Kyo gave her a surprised look, "A mute? How odd. Hope she understands Japanese."

"Yah know, maybe we should have kids too, I mean, Tohru did, and just look at Hana and Haru, there like baby making machines!" Arisa said, not looking Kyo in the eyes, "It might be nice to raise a little gangster child, right?" Then she looked him in the face and smiled.

"Next new year is one of the years, so we can think about it tell then, but lets not end up like Haru and Hana k?" (AN: more on THOSE two later. Emarista already knows what's going there, and its kinda funny)

Arisa nodded in agreement, "Well now that were done with that talk, I'm going to call Tohru and ask if we can come over in a hour or so, then I can talk to Tohru and you can talk to Yuki. Ask how he's doing, and DON'T hurt him, I want to make sure he's alright."

"Sure, I'll start dinner then," Kyo said as he turned toward the kitchen, "but Arisa, I don't know if Yuki is up for the visit, last time I saw him he was lying in Hatori's hospital, and I cant get that image out of my head, he looked an inch from death."

"Look, Hatori let him leave because he didn't think he could help. But, Hatori thought Tohru and Shinju could, that is why the twerps and the tiger were sent to get her. Tohru will help him. He wont get worse ever again. He cant get worse"

"Every bad thing that happens to his daughter takes years of her life, you know how Akito ended up. Yuki would never let that happen to Shinju."

"What can he do?" Kyo asked, "She will get hurt when she's older, like any teenager, he cant protect her from the world. It's not fair to expect her to be happy all the time, but its not like we can tell her she'll die young if she's unhappy."

"IT DOESN'T MATTER WHATS FAIR!" Arisa yelled, smashing the phone onto the table, "Nothings fair to Tohru! She tries so hard! But nothing gets better, I don't know how she does it, but I want her to be happy."

"Some day she will be," Kyo said while comforting Arisa, praying that was true.

Hey peoples, Merry Christmas, and have fun w/your families!

- Arisa-san


	10. Ordinary Day

Well, I'm tired of staying when Shinju's only 3 ½ and Koharu's only 7 so I'm skipping ahead to 10 ½ and 14.

Btw,_ "italic"'_ means in sign language, normal _italics_ means flashbacks.

Update on last seven years:

Everything is finally getting better. Yuki seems fine, Tohru never learned of what happened when she was gone, and hasn't left since. Tohru came up with the idea of all of them learning sign language to talk to Koharu, and until Koharu finds her voice, that's how she talks back. Everything else will be reveled in this stunning new chapter of The Cursed Child!

CHAPTER 10: Ordinary Day

"Ko!" Shinju called up the stairs to her sister, using her nickname, "Ko! Dinner time!"

Koharu walked down the stairs at a half run. "_You don't have to be so loud!" _She scolded gently in sign,_ "I was coming down anyway". _

Shinju smiled at her sister, "Well you were taking to long." She said sticking her tongue out in very ten year old way. Shinju was a cute little girl, with her mothers long strait hair, in her fathers silver gray color. She wore her hair in pigtails tied with red ribbons, and a matching frilly red dress, definitely not your normal ten year old.

Koharu was her opposite. Koharu was tall for her age, especially in Japan, she stood at about 5' 10". Her hair was also long, but pulled back in a single pony tail, she still had long bangs that went to the bottom of her earlobes. Her hair was a golden-brown, her skin a perfect golden-brown, and she still wore two huge earrings and now had four gold studs. Her clothes were a black halter top and faded jeans.

"Soups getting cold!" Tohru called to her children, both of them ran over to eat. Tohru and Yuki smiled at each other as the children wolfed down dinner. (AN: as most all anime characters do)

The Next Morning

It was another normal school day, as Shinju got ready to go to junior high with Koharu. (AN: Koharu 9th, Shinju5th.) They ate breakfast with there parents before they left for work, Tohru to teach English at the high school and Yuki to the computer company that he is vice-president of.

"_Shinju! Lets go!" _Koharu signed to her little sis, "_Were going to be late again!"_ She said as they rushed out the door and began walking to school. Shinju skipped ahead of Koharu laughing and singing as she enjoyed the spring going into summer sun.

Koharu smiled at her sister, her heart full of love, then memory flooded back. _A little boy, no more then two, running toward her, his hair the color of the sun, with beautiful waves in it. He smiled and laughed as he ran into her arms. Koharu was six years old again, right before the accident. A beautiful woman with the same golden wavy hair as the little boy stood next to her. She laughed along with the little boy. 'Koshie…' she called…_

The flashback ended, and Koharu lay sprawled on the ground, with a scared Shinju shaking her awake.

"KO! Your awake! What happened?!? We were walking along and then u just fall to the floor with a eerie silent scream! Oh I was so so so scared!' Shinju informed Koharu, throwing her arms around the older girl. Koharu sat there, stroking Shinju's hair until she calmed down.

It had all seemed so real… like she had been six again, and back with her mother… Tears began to trickle down Koharu's face. God, how she miss them!

"Koharu! You have to go back home! You don't look so good…" Koharu smiled at the young matriarch of her family. Even though it was not quite an order she had to obey. Ten year old Shinju had not only gained Akito's curse, but was also the knew head of the family, not that she cared.

"School can wait! I'll take you to Uncle Hatori and he can give you a check up. Collapsing for no apparent reason could be incredibly dangerous!" Shinju scolded her sister for not having better health, then started to walk back towards home.

It didn't matter that no parents were home. As soon as they arrived back home all Shinju had to do was call the main house and say Shinju Sohma requested a ride from the Sohma-Honda house to Hatori's office, and in ten minutes a stylish black car with a driver pulled up outside the house.(AN: boy do I wish I was the head of the Sohma's…)

Ten minutes later, at Hatori's office

"I'm Shinju Sohma and I'm here to see Doctor Hatori Sohma, I know I don't have a appointment but if you don't tell Uncle Hatori that I'm here then your risking your job." Shinju informed the nurse at the front of Hatori's hospital.

"Well hold on just a minute little miss, and I can go tell him now." The friendly nurse said with a smile, "And I definitely don't want to loose my place!" she added as she bustled off.

"_You didn't need to be rude!" _Koharu scolded, _"It's not THAT serious"_

"_I wasn't being rude! I was just informing her!"_ Shinju signed back, sticking her tongue out at her sister.

Ko sighed then left Shinju alone until Hatori arrived.

"What's wrong Miss Shinju?" Hatori addressed the younger Sohma.

"Oh Uncle Hatori! It's not me you need to ask! Its Ko! We were walking to school when she blacks out and falls to the floor. I insisted we come see you." She explained in a exasperated ten-year-old manner.

"You were right to bring her. Come into my office and we can see what's wrong." Hatori said, gesturing to a impressive oak door. The two girls followed their uncle and his nurse into the office, both a little apprehensive.

What if it was something serious?

End of Chapter

AN: So is what the heck is happening to Ko? And what happened in the past 7 years?!?!

For answer to these exciting questions and more, tune in next time for, The Cursed Child!

Hope you all liked it! (and if u dont read this Sacchi then i will personally hurt you!)

- Arisa-san


	11. Where to Began

Hello again! Some reviewers really took there time for the last chapter! But I've taken my time writing this chapter so I guess it evens out.

This chapter title "Where to Began" is the title of a Bowling for Soup song. Recently I've been listening to their CD over and over. Is it weird that almost all my favorite groups are boy bands?

- A-san

CHAPTER 11: Where to Began

"Shinju, can you translate for Koharu please?" Hatori asked as he sat down on one of the luxurious green couches in his huge office. It really did pay off to be a Sohma sometimes.

"Sure thing Uncle Hatori!" Shinju smiled at him and he had to laugh. Even when things weren't so well she was just as optimistic as Tohru.

"Please explain what you remember before you fell." He inquired. Shinju nodded as Koharu's hands began to move rapidly in her other language.

"Umm… tell me if I get this wrong Ko, I think she said most of what I already told you. We were walking to school like on any other day, and she wasn't feeling any different then normal, then she had a dream.." Here Shinju stopped to look at Koharu who began to move her hands rapidly again.

"It was a dream, it was a memory." There Shinju stopped

"I memory about…?" Hatori prodded. Not much got this ten-year-old tongue-tied or gave her such a look on her face.

"It was about her first family, before we found her. It was about her brother, and her mom. Then she woke up on the ground."

Hatori sighed, "Koharu, How much do you remember about your first family?"

"A bit, I dream of them all the time." Shinju answered for her.

"Well, Koharu, its normal for you to think about them, even if you don't talk about it much. They are still your family."

Shinju jumped up at this and yelled, "NO! they aren't her family! WE'RE her family!"

"_Shinju! Please! Of course your my family!" _Koharu signed as she grabbed Shinju's arm and pulled her onto her lap to hug her._ "Don't worry, I love you, mom and da, I wont leave you."_

"I know… but still… Ko…" Shinju was crying. She may act big, but she was still a little girl, and one with a hard life. She was the cursed Sohma, just as eternally doomed as her predecessor Akito.

Hatori went over to Shinju and gave her a pat on the head, then said, "I think that's good for today, if I have other questions I can get your mother or father to translate. Now you should go to school, even if you missed the first few periods, I'll arrange for a car to take you in, and I'll call the school, okay?"

Both girls nodded.

Two hours later, 6th period

Koharu sat at her desk, listening to Ms. Kithara talk about science. The class was quiet, and most people were listening to the teacher, or else spacing out. The talk was dull. A fly was buzzing around the classroom.

It didn't take long for another memory to emerge.

_She was seven this time, it was summer, literally weeks before the trip. Her mother was holding the new baby boy, Jadric. Her six year old brother played tag with her four year old brother. For some reason she couldn't remember their names, but she saw them clearly, both with wavy dirt blond hair, and large gap toothed grins. The memory was perfect in every aspect. _

"_Koshie! Hide me!" her six year old brother cried, diving behind her so the other little boy couldn't find him. "Help me Koshie, Help me!" his voice echoed through her mind as her dream began to fade._

Koharu woke up to find herself sweating and gasping for breath, her whole body shook.

"Ms. Sohma, are you alright?" Called Ms. Kithara's commanding voice from somewhere away. "Koharu?" it was so hard to focus, maybe if she just closed her eyes for a moment… "Koharu!" was the last she heard as she fell to the floor.

Same time, Shinju's school

The bell rang over head as Shinju packed up her things, getting ready for the twenty minute recess break. Minahara, Suzuki, and Kiri ran over to her to talk before art class. Shinju was always popular like her father, but with much more of her mothers friendly, hopeful, and honest qualities.

"Hey, Shinju, why were you late today?" Zuki asked, "Everyone was worried you wouldn't show up for the student council meeting during 5th."

"I swear, when you didn't show up for homeroom Kazuki looked so sad. Your so lucky! All the cute boys always like you!" Kiri added

"So where were you?" Mina pressed.

"Oh, my sis was sick, so I went with her to the hospital." Was all Koharu got in before her admirers/friends continued to ask questions.

"You have a older sister right?" Kiri asked, then without waiting for an answer continued, "Everyone knows how helpful you are to her, her being mute and all. So is she okay?"

Koharu smiled, she liked her friends, but none of them were really close, there was a reason she was so close to her sister. Unlike her father, she found her sibling wonderful to confide in.

"Yah, Ko's fine, or she should be, but don't worry about that." She said, knowing that loud Kiri would probably forget, but quiet and sensitive Zuki probably would worry.

"Hey Shinju!" a male voice called. Shinju turned around to see Kazuki running toward her. Kazuki was one of Hana and Hotsuharu's five sons and three daughters. (AN: They've been having a little fun huh? Well now the secrets out, they'll be more with them latter, Arisa too.)

Kiri was definitely right about one thing, Kazuki was very cute, even if he was nine months younger then her. He had a naturally handsome face, black eyes, and choppy white and black hair, a good mix between his two parents. Everyone girl in their grade liked Kazuki, but also knew he liked Shinju.

"Girls, you don't mind if I take Shinju away for a minute do you?" He inquired politely. All the girls nodded and giggled.

"Kazu, if you keep doing stuff like that more rumors will be spread about us." Shinju said, the perfect look of exasperation on her face.

He smiled at her warmly, "Oh you just like to complain, now I really do want to talk to you I private, is under the tree in the yard okay?" Shinju nodded, so off they went.

After they were out of sight of other students, Shinju rapped her arms tightly around her second (or is it third?) cousin.

"Oh god, I'm so worried about Ko!" She cried into his shoulder. He put his arms around her.

"I was afraid of this, look Shinju, Koharu's gonna be fine, don't worry about it." He smiled down at her, "And you thought me talking to you caused rumors." Shinju laughed as she pulled away from him, her heart racing. Kazu may be a family friend and relative, but she was just as effected by his charm as everyone else.

"Sohma Shinju, please come to the office now." A voice called over the school loud speaker. As she turned to leave, Kazu grabbed her hand and pulled her back into a last hug. They both held on tight. Kazu knew Shinju's curse all to well, as his father was the cow, and he knew how hard a time she was having, so he did make a perfect friend.

When they pulled away Shinju straightened her self up, waved goodbye to Kazu, and headed for the office, not quiet sure why she was going, but praying it wasn't a family matter.

Tohru's teaching school

"Mrs. Honda-Sohma, there's a call for you from your daughter Koharu." The office aide informed Tohru as she prepared for her next class. She immediately dropped what she was doing and headed off to the office at a trot.

"Hello, this is Tohru." She said into the receiver panting from the run over to the office.

"Hello Mrs. Honda-Sohma, Your daughter Koharu collapsed five minutes ago in English class, we called the ambulance and it should be here shortly. If there is a doctor you would like to take her to we really need you here."

"Oh my! I'll be right there!" Tohru yelled into the receiver as she hung up the phone and ran to grab her coat.

End Of Chapter

this WOULD have been posted two days ago if my stupid internet didn't break down…


	12. Innocent

Wow. I have been so busy, its now even funny. But you don't want excuses, you want a story, so welcome to chapter number 12.

CHAPTER 12: Innocent

Koharu woke up to white plaster walls, and the consistent beeping of her heart rate machine. (AN: I have no idea what those thingies are called.) Tohru was sitting at the side of her bed, her head bent down her whole body sagging.

"Ko!" A anxious voice cried out. Shinju stood at the door to her hospital room, looking rather distressed. Koharu sat up and gave Shinju and her mother a great big hug.

"What happened?" Tohru asked, anxiety was etched clearly in her face as well, she looked ten years older then she had that morning.

"_I… blacked out again."_ Was Shinju's response, _"I saw my brothers, I… want to see them again…" _she paused after signing that, she knew Shinju wouldn't like it.

The only response was Tohru's "Oh, darling, I'm so sorry for your loss."

They sat in silence from then on.

Same Time, in the hospital

"Yuki, I know your daughters mean the world to you, but you've got to calm down." Hatori urged a very angry Yuki into a chair.

"Look Hatori, you're my cousin, so don't treat me like some idiot patient who believes that, 'Oh she's just fine' crap that your spewing. I want to know about what's happening to Koharu."

"Yuki, don't be so loud, your scaring the other patients, " Hatori said in a half whisper. When growing up, only Kyo could make Yuki this angry, yet now the thought of his precious girls being hurt sent him into a rage.

The two men walking into a small, cluttered office off one of the numerous corridors.

Hatori turned to face Yuki, "Look, you want the truth, here it is: if you help one daughter, you condemn the other. "

"What-"

"To help Koharu, you should try to find out about her family. If their still alive, she should get to see them. That would make Shinju sad, she'd feel like Koharu was going to leave her alone. If Shinju stays unhappy for to long… Well, we all know what happened to Akito." Hatori finished with a sigh.

Yuki's face was unreadable, but it was obvious he was fighting something inside himself.

"What are Tohru and I supposed to do then?" He finally asked in a monotone voice.

"I… don't know." Hatori confessed, "You should talk to the girls, figure it out as a family. Their in room 309."

With that Yuki hurried out of the office, leaving Hatori alone, to think in silence.

Another Sohma house, Two hours later

"Kyo!" Arisa called to her husband, "Tohru had some interesting news!"

"Don't yell so much, you going to wake it up!" Kyo said, walking down the stairs with a small blue bundle in his arms. Arisa smiled at her husband, he was just so cute when he held his daughter in his arms.

"Kyo, Meymey has a gender you know, she's not an 'it'." Arisa clumsily took the baby from her husband, trying to hold her head up. (An: hey, did you really expect them to be good parents? They can try, but they'll need help)

"And Tohru said….?" Kyo prompted.

"She said that her girl, Koharu, is in the hospital. She fainted during class, and they think she might have a psychological disorder. Something having to do with… her birth parents." Arisa explained.

"Should we go visit? With that family it really isn't fare to leave them without help. Tohru cant handle a sick child, the cursed child, and a husband with secrets all by herself."

Arisa smiled at him, "Of course were going to visit, but we should leave Meymey with Hana and Hotsuharu, their used to chaos, they handle one more kid. I'll go start up the car, can you get Meymey ready?"

Kyo nodded, and once Arisa was out of hearing, said to his daughter, "And this is the crazy place you were born into, hope you enjoy!" then headed up stairs to get Meymey ready for their little excursion.

The next day, the Sohma house

"I'm sorry about Koharu." Kazu told Shinju when they were alone in the dinning room.

"I know you are. I'll be okay." Shinju gave her perfect impression of her fathers meaningless smile used only when being polite. "I head you visited the main house recently. How is Uncle Ritsu?"

Form then on they continued painfully polite conversations about different family members and what the were up to recently. Kazu finally grew tired of their current topic of her great-aunts strange little hotel and spa. (An: you know, the crazy lady who tries to be polite but scares everyone!)

He reached across the table to hold her hand. "I know your scared, stop hiding it." Even her hand was shaking, it was pretty plain that she was nervous, and alone. She got up and walked over to him, falling into his arms to cry.

"If she finds her OTHER family, then… what if she leaves me?" She sobbed into his shoulder, "I need her so much… but she says she needs them too…"

Kazu felt himself being dragged away with her. Their family was so damn screwed. What ten-year-old girl has to worry about whether her sister is going to leave her, try to keep herself looking normal for school, and whether her parents could handle two upset girls.

"Kazu?… do you think you can stay?… I don't want another night in the hospital… and… I don't want to be alone.." She whispered into his shirt.

"I'll call mom now, I'll be right back." He told her, unhooking her arms from his neck, and slowly standing up, and walking to the kitchen phone.

Alone, Shinju felt so.. odd… for a second it was almost like, she could feel herself growing old, so much older then her ten year old body…

END OF CHAPTER

YAAAAAY! Now for another chapter! Good thing its spring break!


	13. Sell My Soul

Yes, I'm back from the dead! Hope you're all still reading this! It's getting juicy now, so don't miss out!

- A-san

CHAPTER 13: Sell My Soul

Koharu woke up the next morning at eleven to the smell of bacon cooking.

"I was wondering when you were going to get up, sleepy-head." A familiar voice called from the kitchen.

"Aunt Kisa?" Koharu said blearily.

"Yah. I couldn't just leave you and Kazu to fend for yourselves now could I. Besides, you mom asked me to help, what I was supposed to say? She's helped me quite a bit over the years."

Koharu sat up, and then looked down to see why her arm wouldn't move. Kazu was lying on in. Ko blushed profusely. What if Aunt Kisa told her mom that she and Kazu had slept on the same cot?

Kisa winked at her, "Doesn't look like he's going to get up any time soon. Let him sleep, he stayed up half the night you know. Wanted to make sure you were okay. He's a good kid. Haru did a good job."

Now it was Koharu's turn to smile. Slowly she got up and moved her arm out from under him, then went to go enjoy a big breakfast.

That Afternoon, at the Hospital

"_Mom, I have to go back to school!"_ Koharu tried in vain to convince Tohru to let her go to school.

"Darling, you cant! What if you collapse again?"

"_But I'll fall behind!"_

"How can you? It's almost summer vacation anyway."

"_Then, I have something else I must do. I have to find them Mom. Uncle Hatori says it's the only way I can get better."_ Koharu didn't need to say who "they" were; they both already knew.

"Okay. Dad and I will help you." Tohru promised, putting on a smile, but on the inside she felt like crying. What if they wanted Koharu back? Ko had been with her for so long, how would they manage without her?

One Month Later

"Come play with me Ko!" Shinju shouted, running around in one of the Main House's courtyards. Koharu laughed, and ran after her sister.

"Don't wonder to far girls!" Tohru called after them. Everything was slowly drifting back to normal for her two daughters, and she was happy, but she knew it wouldn't stay like that. After a lot of searching and help from many different Sohma's, they finally located Koharu's family.

Koharu had given them her brother's full name and her birth country and town in Ireland. Tohru and Yuki had been surprised that she'd even told them that. Koharu never wanted to talk about her life before the Sohma's.

Slowly the two walked into what was supposed to be Shinju's office. As official head of the family, Shinju had a lot of pull. Sadly, she was also expected to join the Main House as soon as she turned fourteen, which was still three years away.

"Makoto-san. It's good to see you again. Do you have the information I requested?" Yuki asked the woman they had put in charge of finding Koharu's parents stiffly.

"Yes sir. It's all right here. And, as you requested, I have contacted the family. The three sons are living at an orphanage in Ireland. It appears that both of their parents are dead."

Slowly Tohru took this in. Dead. Koharu's parents were dead. This was not going to go over well.

"Please contact the orphanage and arrange it so that the children can come visit us. Tell them we are interested in adopting them." Yuki said this all to Makoto, but kept his eyes on Tohru. What if they could adopt the boys? What would Shinju think? What about Ko?

Tohru nodded. Before they got a head of themselves they needed to finally meet Koharu, or should she say Koshie's, family.

The Day of Arrival, Middle of Summer

"_What am I going to do!" _Koharu signed frantically, _"I haven't seen them for eight years!"_

"You'll be fine," Tohru assured her, "they obviously want to see you, to come all the way from Ireland."

They stood in the living room. The McClure family was do any minute. A cab was picking them up from the airport to bring them to the Honda-Sohma house.

Koharu wore a nice black, short-sleeved, shirt and a red skirt. Shinju had put on a frilly blue dress, similar to the ones she wore almost every day, but more fancy. She was just a little bit frill-obsessed. Tohru and Yuki had also dressed up to meet a new part of their family. Now the entire family stood, waiting.

"We'll just have to see what they're like when they get here, but I'm sure they'll all be gentlemen." Yuki said in his corporate-executive voice.

"_And you're sure you're all okay with this?"_ Koharu asked for the hundredth time.

Her parents both smiled at her, but Shinju said nothing. She had been quiet all afternoon, and had showed no enthusiasm towards anything for days.

Then it happened. The doorbell rang. They were here.

Koharu walked over to the door. It had been decided that she has to greet them; they were her family after all.

As soon as she opened the door she has engulfed in a hug.

"Koshie!" A little boy yelled.

She slowly recognized her youngest brother, Jadric. He had been just a baby when she last saw him.

"It's me, Jadric! I recognized you in a second. You look just like mom!"

"Jadric, calm down!" The eldest boy scolded. Koharu recognized him at once. It was Tahnan, who was only a year younger then her.

The third boy stood quietly in the corner. That had to be Seriam, the middle brother.

"Thank you for having us Mr. And Mrs. Honda-Sohma." Seriam said politely as soon as all the boys had made it into the house, "Please excuse my brothers, I'm afraid Jadric's manners are a little bit lacking."

Tohru smiled, "Now, now, I think he has wonderful manners for and eight year old."

"Thank you Mrs. Honda-Sohma. It's wonderful that you've allowed us to stay with you for a while, and that you speak such wonderful English. While we were all taught Japanese by our dad," Tahnan explained, "I must say I am a little rusty."

"When's Koshie coming back with us?" Seriam asked quietly.

Then something just snapped. She couldn't stand it anymore. "Never! She's not coming back with you! This is her home now! We are her family! I'm her sister! You will never be part of this family!" Shinju exploded, getting up and running up the stairs to her room.

END OF CHAPTER

Trouble ahead, better watch out Shinju and Ko!


	14. To Hell We Ride

My God I so hope you haven't all for gotten me! I'm not dead, I swear! Just on an exceedingly long hiatus! I was inspired to get my ass moving by a kind reviewer who I would like to thank. So, if anyone's reading this, thank you Ayame for an encouraging review! (And not just him/her, everyone else too!)

Chapter title is suggested music to listen to while reading this

CHAPTER 14: To Hell We Ride

Shinju ran up the stairs to her room to cry. "Why would Ko want another family? I'M Koharu's family, not those _boys_. Koharu doesn't need them and they sure as hell aren't staying here!" Shinju reasoned with herself.

"Well, someone's in a bad mood."

Shinju looked up abruptly. A small boy of seven with sandy red hair sat outside her window, leaning on her windowsill.

"Hey! What are you doing here Tao?" Shinju looked over at her favorite cousin, after Kazu of course; Tao was the son of Kyo and Arisa.

"I was bored. You know I can't stop climbing. So, I thought my pathetic cousin could use a friend. I heard about Ko's family coming to town." He gracefully hopped through a window and stalked over to Shinju's side, sitting down next to her on her bed.

"Thanks Tao. I need a friend."

"Look, I never said I was your friend," replied the irritable son of the two most ornery Sohma's, "I'm not your friend Shinju. I'm your family."

She gabbed him around the neck and hugged poor Tao so tight he "eepped!" rather loudly, "Tao, you ARE my family, and my friend, and I will never forget that, and you better not either!"

The little boy relaxed slightly but still had the expression of a cat thrown in a bath. He was never raised to be the touchy-feely type, but much like his father was drawn to Tohru, Tao was drawn inexplicably towards his second cousin.

"Look, my parents don't know I'm here, they both sleep till one, and it's just about eleven. Anyway, I shouldn't be here; I just wanted to make sure you were okay. If you want anything more, call Kazu. _He's_ the nice cousin." And with that Tao hopped back up and turned at the window, "Shinju-kun, don't be mad at them, or Ko. They aren't going to take your sister from you. And remember, in their minds _you_ took Koharu from _them._"

"But-" Shinju cried too late as Tao vaulted right out the window and leapt straight down all the way to the grassy back yard twenty feet bellow.

"Call Kazu!" He yelled as he swung himself over the back fence and made his way home in a typical Kyo/Tao fashion.

Shinju sighed deeply. Tao was right, about so many things, not just the calling Kazu for backup part. "I stole Ko from them eight years ago; they just want the sister they remember back!" Shinju threw herself back down on her bed, tired of her life.

"Tao was right! I'm being selfish! I'm disgusting! Just because _he_ cant see the horrible beast that I am doesn't mean I can't!" Shinju was breaking down again. No eleven year old likes to think about themselves as a bad person, but that doesn't mean they are incapable of it. Everyone always thought Shinju was happy, but everyday, every moment she felt the Akito inside of her grow, she just didn't know what to call it.

"_Except it Shinju. You'll never be a good person. Never. Deep down you don't care about anyone but yourself, anyone but me." _A treacherous little voice inside her called to her heart.

"You're lying!" she told the voice, "I care about Koharu! I care about Mom, I care about Dad!"

_"Now don't LIE to yourself little girl! You care nothing about that MAN. He didn't raise you, he didn't care for you when you were lost; Yuki did nothing for you! How can you love someone who thinks of you as a parasite that took his wife from him?"_

"SHUT UP!" Shinju screamed, "Daddy loves me, Daddy loves me more than ANYTHING!"

"_Who are you kidding, Shinju, my darling, Yuki never loved you, just like he never loved me!"_ The voice had a dangerous, ferocious, sound now.

"What do you mean he never loved you? I thought you were me!" Shinju questioned as she paced back and forth across her bedroom floor.

_"You stupid girl! I am you, and I am not; but I will always be a part of your heart. I am the cursed child who came before you, the one you father destroyed!"_

"You're lying! You… you, the head of the family?" Shinju stuttered, "You died before I was born. You gave me this curse when you died, so you cant still be here! You're gone! Go away!"

_"Oh you poor thing, hiding from the world. You just don't want to face facts do you? Each cursed child never gets to go to the afterlife! All of us are stuck here forever for our sins!"_

"Your lying," She refused to believe him, "I have no sins. I'm just a child, I've never done anything to hurt someone."

"_Shinju. Poor innocent Shinju, you're so much like your poor, stupid mother. She didn't know about her sins either. Just being born was enough sin to keep you from heaven and the rest of the zodiac. You drove your parents apart, and practically killed your own father."_

"I did not! I did not! I did nothing to them! They're fine; I never hurt them! We're all fine!"

_"When you and that Tohru were off in California your father practically died. Poor weak little Yuki couldn't stand to be without his sweet Tohru. It was so pathetic; I was overjoyed! Your father deserves to suffer, Shinju."_

"He does not! My FATHER is a GOOD man! He never hurt anyone! You hurt him!" Shinju had no idea if this was true, but she knew she was loosing this argument and she had begun to grasp at straws.

The voice hissed at her like an angered snake, "_He never listened to me. I was the head of the family; he was just the stinking rat, yet he dared defy me! He thought he was better then me, ME!"_

"My father did no such thing! He is kind and he loves me and my mother and my sister, and you can never convince me otherwise!"

_"Shinju. He killed me. Right after he married your stupid mother he killed me with his own two hands. Oh the irony that you, his only child, you are the Sohma who called to me, you brought my evil spirit into you. You brought this curse upon yourself."_

Shinju was crying desperately now, "No! None of this is true! It's a dream! You're lying! Tell me who you REALLY are!" Shinju asked the question but she never wanted to know the answer.

_"I told you my darling, I'm Akito."_

Later that afternoon Tohru, Yuki, and even Koharu came to try to talk to Shinju, but her door was locked and she wouldn't talk to anyone. Tohru cried for her little daughter and Koharu regretted ever finding her own family. Even the boys began to feel guilty, although they were also victims, and had all rights to be mad instead.

Finally Tohru sent the boys to stay at Haru and Hana's mansion with their small army of children. Even then Shinju wouldn't come out, and every so often they would hear something shattering behind that closed door. Finally Tohru just left Shinju's meals outside her door and the three of them left her alone.

It was Shinju, she had to get better soon, then she'd be happy again, they all reasoned. If only they could have guess the truth.

In Shinju's room, nine PM

Finally Shinju picked up the phone when she was sure that everyone else was in his or her room trying to sleep.

She dialed in a number on her phone and sighed deeply. What else was she supposed to do?

"Hi. It's me. Listen, I need your help. I know it's late… if you could just come, please. I need you."

END OF CHAPTER

Yay! Happy early Christmas! (My present to you is this confusing, depressing, chapter! Yay!)

With love,

A-san


	15. Get Busy Living or Get Busy Dying

AN: Holy #$&! I haven't updated in so long! I'm really, really sorry! I still love you all (if any of you are left) and I'm really psyched about writing this chapter, so please, please, please, review!

Btw, this is the second to last chapter and I have no idea how I managed to tie up all these loose ends! I'm actually really proud of myself!

CHAPTER 15: Get Busy Living or Get Busy Dying

(The title this time is from Fall Out Boy, another favorite of mine, no idea why, but sheesh, are their titles long!)

"Hi. It's me. Listen, I need your help. I know it's late… if you could just come, please. I need you."

Shinju hung up the phone and started pacing her room. Would he come?

Ten minutes later she heard a knock at her window.

"Shinju?" Kazu called quietly, "Shinju, let me in."

She ran to the window and threw it open so fast Kazu almost fell over backwards. She grabbed him and rapped her arms around him as soon as he had regained his balance. After a bit of a struggle he managed to pull himself into the room.

Shinju immediately burst into tears. Kazu's eyes went wide and he patted her awkwardly on the back. He wasn't exactly accustomed to pretty young girl bursting into tears in his arms.

"Shhhh… Calm down and tell me what's wrong," He said, patting her on the back, "I'll do everything I can to help."

After a minute her sobs subsided, but she still kept her face buried in his shirt front.

"You can't help me. I've gone crazy. No one can help me." She mumbled.

He laughed lightly, gently pulling her away so he could actually look at her, and she didn't look like she'd been getting a lot of sleep lately, "You aren't crazy. I'm sure you'll be fine soon, you just need some rest."

Shinju shook her head emphatically, "No, I don't think rest is going to make the homicidal voice in my head go away." Kazu stopped smiling.

"You're hearing voices?" He was nervous now, she could tell, "Maybe you should talk to Uncle Hatori…"

"NO!" she practically screamed, "Please, just help me! He says his name is Akito. He was the cursed child before me, and he died a long time ago. He hates Mom and Dad, and even me and Ko. He's crazy."

They both stopped and stared at each other for a minute before Shinju burst into tears again.

"Oh my god! The murderous voice in my head is crazy! I've gone so crazy I don't think even Hatori could do anything at all! You should just run now and save yourself the trouble of waiting!" She was back to sobbing.

Kazu stopped and took a deep breath, then grabbed Shinju up in a big hug.

"You can be so crazy you're in a loony bin and I'll still be here for you. I'll never leave you, Shinju. You're my best friend, and I love you." She was still crying, but now she was smiling too.

"Thank you Kazu."

He smiled back, "Now, lets figure out what to do about this "Akito"."

* * *

"Mom?" Shinju whispered, knocking gently on her parent's door. She heard movement of the other side of the imposing door and gulped. Was this really going to work? 

"It will all be fine." Kazu whispered, holding her hand tightly. It was morning now, a week after Akito had first made his presence known, and Kazu and Shinju had finally decided their only choice was to go to the adults and ask for help. So here they were, nine o'clock, waiting to talk to Tohru and Yuki.

"What is it, sweetie?" Tohru said groggily as she opened the door in her nightgown. She blinked a few times then said, "Huh? Honey, are you okay? Oh, hello Kazu darling."

"Mom, I have something I need to tell you. And I think I've gone crazy." Shinju began a little awkwardly.

"Just a sec, I need to wake up for this," Tohru yawned, "Do you want Daddy here too? Because I bet he'll want to hear this."

"Yeah, and I need Ko here too." Shinju surprised herself with this request, but despite her childish jealousy, Ko was still her sister, and she deserved to hear that her little sister was channeling the angry spirit of a psychopath.

Kazu squeezed her hand for encouragement. _You can do this_, his eyes said very clearly.

And she did. As soon as Koharu and Yuki came over she told her family all of it. Everything Akito said, all the doubts he had put into her mind, the fear she felt, and that he hadn't tried to contact her for the last day all came spilling out.

"Well…" Tohru began, and then stopped. What was there left to say? They all stood there in silence.

* * *

Yuki paced back and forth, over and over again. "What are we supposed to do?" he said angrily. 

"I don't know…" Tohru whispered through her hands. The two of them were alone in their bedroom and they were just as lost as Shinju and Kazu had been.

"He's dead! Akito is dead! I thought that we were finally rid of that… monster! Why can't he ever leave us alone?" Yuki cried, his swelled with anger and sorrow among other things, but predominantly with fear. How could he fight his daughter's demons when he couldn't even see them?

"Yuki, sit down." Tohru commanded. He did.

"Worrying yourself to death wont help her, and it wont help you. We'll find an answer. She's our daughter, and we _will_ protect her." For the first time in years Tohru spoke forcefully, abandoning completely her sweet, loving, and shy demeanor.

Then she began to cry just like her daughter. Yuki grabbed her in his strong, safe, arms and began to cry with her.

"We have to find a way…" He mumbled into her hair.

* * *

It was night. Shinju had spent the whole day with Koharu and Kazu, both of them trying to make her happy again. Where was the old Shinju? 

Now the three of them were fast asleep and dreaming fitfully of tomorrow. Only Yuki stayed awake.

"What are you so mad about?" He asked the chill night air as he stood at his old "secret base".

"What do you want Akito? Do you still hate me? Is that why you're haunting her?" Yuki knew he looked crazy, talking to nothing, but if Akito's spirit could talk to Shinju, then it could damn well talk to him too!

"I'm sorry!" He yelled, "I'm sorry you were cursed just like us. For a long time, I hated you; I hated you more than anything for what you did to me. But you know what? I forgive you. I forgive you for hurting me when we were kids, I forgive you hurting Kyo, and Tohru, and all the Sohmas! I thought we were past this rivalry."

"_How can you forgive what you don't understand?" _Akito's hate filled voice whispered in his ear, _"I was the head of the family, I was your master, yet you ignored me. I was always alone."_

"As you wanted it!" Yuki yelled back, "You want to be away from us. If you had loved us, we would have welcomed you with open arms, but you pushed us away!"

"_You would not!" _Akito hissed, _"I did love you, all of you, even that damned Cat! I was your God; I had no choice. I had to love you, just like all the cursed ones before me."_

"No!" Yuki couldn't understand it; Akito had to be lying, "You _didn't_ love us! You hurt me, physically and emotionally; you didn't want me to have friends or a family. You want me to be destroyed."

"_I wanted you all to myself. All the Sohma Zodiac members were mine. I couldn't let you go our and join _them. _That's why I hated that Tohru woman so much! She thought she could take you from me!"_

"Tohru loves me! She helped me when I was lost in your lies. Don't you dare talk to me about her." He was mad again.

"She left you. She hurt you; you were hurt so bad that you talked to me! Don't say you can't remember! You were alone, and you heard me calling out to you. Hatori thought you were going crazy, but I knew you were just tired of being by yourself." As Akito said all this, memories Yuki had blocked years ago came back to him; Akito's voice in an empty room; the despair of Tohru leaving; the pain of being all alone.

"You became just like me! You saw everything I did, but then you forgot. I showed you just how much it hurt to know that I wouldn't live past twenty-five but that you would all live to be sixty! I showed you why I was cruel, why I was so jealous. And then you forgot it all."

'No, no, it's not true!" Yuki whispered, trying to repress the memories that kept flooding back, "You were so cruel to us! You were full of malice."

"_I was full of jealousy. I want what you all had; a perfect full life with other, _normal,_ people. I never hated you, Yuki. I envied you, I always have."_

"Then why are you talking to her? Why wont you leave us alone?"

"Because you forgot. That woman came back and you pushed me from your mind. You forgot how much I suffered, and how much I loved you. Shinju is free now. I will not talk to her again, so long as you remember that you will never be alone, and that I suffered too."

And the voice was gone. Akito was gone, but his memories would never be. Loaded down with all this new pain, and fear, and ideas, Yuki went home to his family.

* * *

Loud voices floated down the stairs as Yuki reentered his home. He ran up the stairs two at a time and found the whole family gathered around Shinju's room, including Koharu's brothers, who had come back from Hana's house the day before. 

"Shinju, are you okay? Shinju sweetie?" Tohru called anxiously.

"What's wrong?" Yuki aksed, running to his daughter's side.

"I… I don't know! She just collapsed!" Kazu said, "She was talking one moment then she fell over and started shaking!"

Yuki looked down at his daughter limp, shivering, body.

"She's in shock! Something's happening to her, we have to call Hatori." Yuki said in a commanding voice, "Someone go…"

But he stopped short, because Shinju had quit shivering and was lying perfectly still. Her eyes fluttered open.

"He's gone. He said he was sorry, Daddy, and he's gone," She whisepered, gently squeezing her fathers hand, "He took away all the pain too. He… says he's… sorry…." Then she fell back asleep.

Instantly her sister was at her side, trying to get her to wake up.

"_Nothing's working!" _Koharu signed frantically, _"She cant go back to sleep! What if she never wakes up?"_

"Koharu, I know you can wake her," Tohru said, "Please! Remember back in America, you saved her then in that alley and you can do it again!" Tohru encouraged her eldest daughter, afraid that if this didn't work, nothing would.

Shinju nodded; she remembered. In a slow, shaky voice she said, "Shinju, it's me, Koharu. Please wake up. I promise never to leave you again! Please! You're the only sister I have!" Her eyes filled with tears, "I love my brothers dearly, but I love you too!"

Slowly, Shinju opened her eyes again, "Ko, you can talk!" She whispered.

And then, all hell broke loose.

END OF STORY

(AN: okay, not really! Please stay tuned for an epilogue to be posted sometime next week! Hope you all enjoyed this as much as I did! BTW, I _really_ want to know what you've thought of this story! )


	16. Give ‘em Hell Kid

AN: YAY! Over 100 reviews! I love you all so much, especially new reviewers. (okay, I love the old ones too). I REALLY can't believe that this is over. I started this story three years ago and I've only finished it now! Eek! I hope my writing's improved a bit since then.

Approximate Ages (for reference):

Shinju: 26

Koharu: 30

Kazuki (Kazu): 26

Tao: 24

All adults (aka normal characters, Tohru, Ayame, Kyo ect.): between 40 and 50

CHAPTER 16: Give 'em Hell Kid (epilogue)

It was a beautiful summer afternoon, with flowers blooming everywhere and a gentle breeze blowing down the back of Shinju's neck. It was a hot day, but she continued to work relentlessly in her garden, refusing to give in to temptation and go inside for a cool glass of lemonade. It had been almost fifteen years since the day Shinju's world turned upside down, and she found she had adjusted quite well.

Finally, with a sigh she finished planting and sat back on the heels. Shinju looked skeptically down at her enormous belly and thought exasperatedly, "Fricken' circle of life!"

She was seven months pregnant and it was driving her crazy. Now none of her pretty frilly sundresses would fit anymore. What was she supposed to wear?

"Shinju! Where are you darling?" Kazu called from their back porch.

"In the garden!" she called back. He was at her side in a flash, a small boy clutched frantically onto Kazuki's pant leg.

"Honey, you know Hatori said you shouldn't exert yourself. You're the head of the family, and besides, I _really_ don't want you getting hurt." He scolded lightly; grabbing her by one arm and helping her pull herself up.

"Kazu, I'll be fine. Be careful, you're scaring Ryun," She dismissed his fears quickly. Ever since she was a child she had hated people mentioning her job as the center of the family, and now that she was about to have a child of her own people kept binging it up more and more. It was frustrating. She couldn't understand why they kept reminding her. It wasn't like she could forget.

"Don't make me call the doctor," He husband threatened, "I really am worried about you." Shinju sighed and allowed him to lead her into the house. The house they lived in was of a good size, with three story, five bedrooms and three bathrooms. Basically, it was the suburban dream. The downside was that it was conveniently located right next to the Main House. But still, it held them, their adopted son Ryun, and four foster-children who ranged from ages sixteen to two. Most of them were Sohma children who were orphaned or just need a better family to stay with for a while. Besides, Kazuki had grown up as one of eight children, so chaos was really just the kind of home environment he was used to. Still, Shinju liked to think their household was a _little_ more organized then Hana and Haru's had been.

Shinju had quickly grown to love large families as well. She had always felt a little alone in her family of four, especially once Koharu had graduated high school and left her alone with their parents. A big family fit surprisingly well.

Shinju went inside the giant house and found herself ushered off to an empty room for some "quiet time". As soon as she sat down, she began to think about the last half of her life. The past fifteen years had been good and bad, glorious and horrible. Life was a mixed blessing, but she thanked God, and even Akito, for the life she led every day. And no, she never forgot him, yet she never heard from him again.

As a teenager Shinju had been popular and beautiful, and there had been more than a few guys who had lusted after her. But, in the end it was always the same; none of them could compare with her one perfect man. Through her whole life, Kazuki had been there for her; letting her cry when she needed, drying her tears when she didn't, and always loving her. Kazu had never made her unhappy, not like Akito had been, at least.

All her life, Shinju had know she was a little "different" then most kids, but with Kazu she had always felt like a normal girl. They had been in love for so long it was only natural that they ended up together. No one was surprised.

Koharu, on the other hand, had gone through many men. All through her school years, and early twenties, Koharu had skipped from man to man, never settling down for more then half a year. Then, she too fell in love, which surprised the hell out of pretty much everyone.

After years of running, Koharu settled down with reserved and unpredictable Tao. When the two of them went to Kyo and Arisa to tell them, Arisa had just looked Koharu up and down, and then welcomed her wholeheartedly into the family. "Hey, any child of Tohru's is welcome here any time," Arisa had said. Ko and Tao had gotten married when he was twenty and she was twenty-six. Since then they had had one redheaded son, Hito, who was spoiled crazy by dotting grandparents.

Uncle Momiji had found some good times too. He had gotten married and lived happily for a few years, before he had a heart attack. He had died that night, leaving his wife and daughter, Momiri, alone. They had joined the Sohma Main House not long after, and were well taken care of. Shinju had made sure of that, at least for a while.

Tohru had cried for weeks over the loss of Momiji. He was gone, but like Akito, he wasn't forgotten.It had taken all of them a long time to accept that.

Shinju had found it hard to accept that bad things could happen as well, but whenever grief began to overwhelm her she and Kazu sat down and talked about all the good things in their lives. She knew her life was good, and she planned to keep it that way. She swore that she would never end up like Akito. Anger would not control her.

Other sad things had happened to the family as well. Momiji's wife had run away a year after her husbands death. Momiri, who was five, ended up in Shinju's house, where she was a beloved daughter.

Hatori had found peace as well, accepting what he was, but never fighting back. He had never married or left the Main House. He remained an obedient servant, even when Shinju tried to force him to go out and live a real life. He said he was happy to play doctor. She had said she was happy as long as he was, but it hadn't quite been true. Truthfully, she had wanted desperatly for him to fight back.

Haru and Hana had managed to successfully send all of their children out into the world, and all of Kazu's brothers and sisters were out on their own now. Haru frequently said in his "elder brother voice" (similar to the "elder sister voice") that he was scared for the world now that his siblings were loose in it. And then he would laugh.

The other animals from Yuki's generation had all had very strange lives. Rin had run off and wasn't heard from for years, not until her son, who was Shinju's age, showed up at the Main House one day. It had been a very interesting time in Sohma history.

He had barged into one of the official buildings and said loudly, "Hey, I'm Natsuki. My mom used to live her, and I figured since you were her family, you're mine too. So, you have a place I could stay for a while?"

Shinju had started laughing right there. She couldn't help it.

Natsuki looked over at her and said, "What, you work here?" Shinju had laughed again, and the secretary who Natsuki had been talking to looked uneasily between the two of them.

"I'll handle this personally." Shinju had said to him.

"But Mrs. Sohma, please, I'll take care of it. This isn't your problem. I'll escort him out." The secretary said, rising from his desk. Natsuki stiffened and held up his fists, ready for a fight.

"_I said I will take care of it!"_ Shinju said, standing between the two young men, "_I_ am the head of this family, and this seems like a family matter to me."

She escorted Natsuki to her office. He sat down and looked appreciatively around, "Mom was right. You guys are loaded," he said, "So, you got a place for me here? I figure it's my birthright or whatever."

Shinju smiled her business smile and said politely, "And just how is that? Who is your mother, Mr. Natsuki Sohma?"

"Rin Sohma. You may have heard of her. Loud, mean, turns into a horse, you know the type. I suppose that's pretty common here, though." He stopped to smirk, "So what are you, a snake? I saw the way you handled that secretary."

"I am not a Zodiac animal." Shinju said, folding her hands patiently, "I am the Head of the Family, and if you want a place here you better damn well earn it. The Sohma name is not simply given away. We are a class of the elite, and no one who bullies my secretary gets a penny from me, got it?"

He laughed, "Damn, girl, you're fun. Too bad you're married. I saw the ring. Plus, we're probably, like, cousins or something anyway. So, how can I earn the Sohma name?"

"You get a job, and you work for me, and I'll let you have a house," Shinju knew she sounded a little mobster like, but hey, it got the point across. She was a "whatever works" kind of girl.

"It's a deal." Natsuki had said, and all in all it had worked pretty well. It was only _after_ he had moved in that he mentioned his family. He had a two-year-old son, and a divorced wife who wanted nothing to do with them. Rin was dead, and Natsuki's son had inherited his mother's curse.

The two of them lived well and visited Shinju and her family frequently. Both were welcomed into the family.

Shinju finished reminiscing, and thought instead of everything that lay ahead. She had six children to put through school, for starters. Shinju stood up slowly and began to hobble off to see how the family was doing.

She stopped in the stairwell and looked down at the perfect scene spread out before her. Kazu was serving dinner to the kids, who all sat around the table, entertaining themselves each in their own way. The eldest girl, Mia, was holding a little brother on each knee and telling them some story which seemed to hold their attention well. Her next eldest was teasing his foster sister about boys and tickling the Momiri mercilessly. Kazuki, bless him, was trying to maintain order, but was obviously outmatched; still, he was laughing.

"Boy, am I lucky to have you all." Shinju said after observing for a minute, announcing her presence.

There were many cries of "Mommy!" a few "Shinju"'s and thena lot of, "But he/she did this!" and "Make him/her stop!"

Shinju laughed, taking a toddler up in each arm, "Calm down, kids. Daddy's trying to make you dinner!"

"Thanks, hon." Kazu said, serving the last plate. She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek, whispering, "Now I remember why I married you."

They all sat to eat, but not for long. Half way through a hectic dinner, Shinju stood up and said loudly, "Honey, I think it's time to go to the hospital."

Nobody argued.

* * *

Two hours later, Shinju was given a small, rather loud, cleaned up bundle of baby and told by Hatori that she held a, "rather healthy bundle of joy."

Kazu was in shock. They had all been thinking that the baby wouldn't be here for another month. Shinju sighed; life was always full of surprises. The kids had been left with Tohru and Yuki, who loved every second they could get with their grandchildren. Now it was just them.

"I'll go get you the birth certificate for you two to fill out," Hatori said mildly, "You can have a moment alone." He left then, closing the dorr meakly behind him.

Shinju looked at the pink, squirming, baby in her arms. She hadn't quite come up with a name yet.

"Well, it's a girl." She said to Kazu, "That makes it even in our house. Four girls to four boys. Give me a sec to think of a name."

"I concede the honor of naming our first born to you," Kazu said, "After all, you did just go through a little bit of work." He smiled. She smiled back. It hadn't been too easy.

After a moments thought Shinju said decisively, "Her name shall be Otika. May she live a long, trouble free life." Kazu laughed good-naturedly at the name and smiled down at his first daughter. She was beautiful.

"She's perfect. You know, I think we should keep this one," he joked, hugging Shinju gratefully.

Carefully, Kazu held Otika to him in a hug; she promptly turned into a fluffy yellow rabbit with barely opened eyes. They both stared at their baby girl. After a minute Shinju laughed, "Well, she'll still have a good life. Heck, cursed lives aren't so bad."

Kazu smiled. "I've always liked rabbits" he said cheerfully, petting his daughter gently between the ears.

Suddenly, tears filled Shinju's eyes. It was all so perfect. She had a loving husband, who was at her side and already positive, a kid who was cute and fluffy, and a whole family who loved her for herself.

"I'm fine," She reassured a worried Kazu, "I'm fine." And for the first time in all her twenty-six years Shinju knew it was really true. All the pain and sorrow she had suffered was a world away, but without that she wouldn't have grown to be the person she was now. Everything that had made up her life so far had been bittersweet, and that probably wouldn't ever change.

And for the first time, she really didn't care. Pain was just a part of life, as was love, and joy, and the everyday aches and pain of being a Sohma. This was her destiny, and she accepted it with open arms.

"Thank you, Akito. I understand now." She whispered, "I'll never give up."

THE END

AN: How many of you can guess the significance of Shinju's daughter's name? I thought it was rather creative when I first started writing this; I was even going to name Shinju it. I'm sure you can all figure it out. But, hey, if you cant, feel free to email me and ask! I guess it's rather stupid when you think about it.

Still, I thought it was creative two years ago.

Anyway, this is the end of the Cursed Child! I really want to read it over again. But I'm afraid of having to face all my spelling errors! Bleh. Hope you all had as much fun as I have.

Goodbye! I'll miss you all!

-A-san


End file.
